Method of opening a medicine package

Abstract

A medicine package including a reservoir containing the medicine, the package bearing a machine readable code indicative of the characteristics of the medicine contained therein. If from reading the code it is determined that the medicine contained in the package can be used to satisfy the needs of a particular patient, then the package is opened and the code is rendered unreadable by the machine. A machine for reading the code, opening the package, rendering the code unreadable, and maintaining a record of the dispensing of the medicine to a particular patient is also disclosed.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of dispensing medicine to a person comprising the steps of: (a) providing a package of medicine provided with a code indicating information concerning the characteristics of the medicine;   (b) providing a machine having means for identifying the medical needs of the person and for determining whether the dispensing of the medicine to the person will help satisfy the medical needs of the person, means for reading the code and transmitting the information indicated by the code to said identifying and determining means, means for rendering the code unreadable only when said identifying and determining means determines that the medicine in the package will help satisfy the medical needs of the person, and means for opening the package only when said identifying and determining means determines that the medicine in the package will help satisfy the medical needs of the person;   (c) reading the code by the reading and transmitting means;   (d) rendering the code unreadable by the rendering means;   (e) opening the package by the opening means; and   (f) delivering the medicine to the person.   
     
     
       2. A method of administering medication comprising the steps of: (a) providing a package containing the medication, said package provided with a machine readable code indicating the contents of the package, said package capable of being opened substantially only with a tool;   (b) providing a machine including a tool capable of opening the package, means for reading the code such that the code of the package is read by the reading means wherever the package is opened by the tool; and   (c) opening the package by the tool.   
     
     
       3. A method of administering medication according to claim 2 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the package contents indicated by the code in response to the code being read by the reading means and includes means for determining whether a package has been opened by the tool and for recording the occurrence of the package opening, and comprising the further steps of recording the package contents indicated by the code by the recording means and recording the occurrence of the the package opening by the determining and recording means. 
     
     
       4. A method of administering medication according to claim 2 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the time substantially when the package is opened, and comprising the further step of recording the time substantially when the package is opened by the time recording means. 
     
     
       5. A method of administering medication according to claim 2 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the identity of a person to whom the medication is to be administered, and comprising the further step of recording the identity of the person before the package is opened by the identity recording means. 
     
     
       6. A method of administering medication according to claim 5 wherein the machine includes means for reading a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person, and comprising the further steps of providing a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person and reading the identity indicating code by the identity reading means. 
     
     
       7. A method of administering medication according to claim 2 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the identity of a person other than the person to whom the medication is to be administered, and comprising the further step of recording the identity of the person before the package is opened by identity recording means. 
     
     
       8. A method of administering medication according to claim 7 wherein the machine includes means for reading a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person, and comprising the further steps of providing a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person and reading the identity indicating code by the identity reading means. 
     
     
       9. A method of administering medication according to claim 2 comprising the further steps of providing parameters for a selected relationship between the medication and the person to whom the medication is to be administered that must be satisfied before the package is opened, determining whether the parameters are satisfied, and opening the package only if the parameters are satisfied. 
     
     
       10. A method of administering medication according to claim 9 wherein the selected relationship relates to a measurement of the person's physiology. 
     
     
       11. A method of administering medication according to claim 9 wherein the selected relationship relates to the time substantially when medication was previously administered to the person. 
     
     
       12. A method of administering medication according to claim 2 wherein the machine further includes means for providing instructions concerning the administration of medication and comprising the steps of providing instructions concerning the administration of medication by the instruction means and following the instructions. 
     
     
       13. A method of administering medication according to claim 2 wherein the machine further includes means for rendering the code unreadable, and comprising the further step of rendering the code unreadable by the rendering means. 
     
     
       14. A method of administering medication comprising the steps of: (a) providing a package containing the medication, said package provided with a machine readable code indicating the contents of the package, the opening of said package capable of being initiated only with a tool;   (b) providing a machine including a tool capable of initiating the opening of the package, means for reading the code such that the code of the package is read whenever the opening of the package is initiated by the tool;   (c) initiating the opening of the package by the tool; and   (d) opening the package.   
     
     
       15. A method of administering medication according to claim 14 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the package contents indicated by the code in response to the code being read by the reading means and includes means for determining whether the opening of the package has been intitiated by the tool and for recording the occurrence of the package opening initiation, and comprising the further steps of recording the package contents indicated by the code by the recording means and recording the occurrence of the package opening initiation by the determining and recording means. 
     
     
       16. A method of administering medication according to claim 14 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the time substantially when the opening of the package is initiated, and comprising the further steps of recording the time substantially when the opening of the package is initiated by the time recording means. 
     
     
       17. A method of administering medication according to claim 16 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the identity of a person to whom the medication is to be administered, and comprising the further step of recording the identity of the person before the opening of the package is initiated by the identity recording means. 
     
     
       18. A method of administering medication according to claim 17 wherein the machine includes means for reading a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person, and comprising the further steps of providing a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person and reading the identity indicating code by the identity reading means. 
     
     
       19. A method of administering medication according to claim 14 wherein the machine further includes means for recording the identity of a person other than the person to whom the medication is to be administered, and comprising the further step of recording the identity of the person before initiating the opening of the package by the identity recording means. 
     
     
       20. A method of administering medication according to claim 19 wherein the machine includes means for reading a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person, and comprising the further steps of providing a machine readable code indicating the identity of the person and reading the identity indicating code by the identity reading means. 
     
     
       21. A method of administering medication according to claim 14 comprising the further steps of providing parameters for a selected relationship between the medication and the person to whom the medication is to be administered that must be satisfied before the package is opened, determining whether the parameters are satisfied, and initiating the opening of the package only if the parameters are satisfied. 
     
     
       22. A method of administering medication according to claim 21 wherein the selected relationship relates to a measurement of the person's physiology. 
     
     
       23. A method of administering medication according to claim 21 wherein the selected relationship relates to the time substantially when medication was previously administered to the person. 
     
     
       24. A method of administering medication according to claim 14 wherein the machine further includes means for providing instructions concerning the administration of medication, and comprising the steps of providing instructions concerning the administration of medication by the instruction means and following the instructions. 
     
     
       25. A method of administering medication according to claim 14 wherein the machine further includes means for rendering the code unreadable, and comprising the further step of rendering the code unreadable by the rendering means.